1962

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James Gilbert Lea J.D. ’62, resident of Sunnyvale, passed away on March 27, 2010 at the age of 78, at Villa Fontana, in San Jose, Calif., after a long battle with heart disease. He is survived by Ana Bruch and her children Carlos, Florence, and Hans, and Florence‘s son Jaime. Jim was born in Little Rock Arkansas, grew up in Seattle, Washington, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Real Estate and Finance. He received a J.D. From Santa Clara University, maintained his law office in Sunnyvale, and practiced law in the San Jose area. He was married to Barbara Lea and lived in Los Gatos before divorcing and moving to Sunnyvale. Jim was a great runner in the 1950s and set the World’s Record at 45.8 seconds in the 440 Yard Dash at the Modesto Relays in 1956. He also went on to represent the United States Air Force Track Team in Europe and to coach a fledgling track team at Santa Clara University while attending law school. He served on the Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Board, was a member of the Santa Clara County Republican Central Committee, and taught Real Estate Law at West Valley College in Saratoga for several years. Jim loved beach volley ball and sailing on his boat in the Santa Cruz Bay.

08 Nov 2018